Clifton CC

I'll kick off this week's...

After yesterday's training ride, my legs took quite a bit of bullying out of bed this morning, but flinging back the curtains revealed blue sky in all directions. Caroline was rehearsing all day with one of her singing groups, so I headed out for a big loop south of York, heading out west and returning from the east some four hours and seventy-odd miles later. Utterly fantastic countryside, and despite ongoing complaints from the legs I found myself laughing at one point, so beautiful were the autumn colours and the sweep of the bare fields. Those long steady winter miles don't all have to be glum.

A huge contingent turned up to the Square for the Inters’ ride on Saturday, obviously on the back of a promise that Kylie was joining us In fact, I think the Inters may have even outnumbered the Kevin ride for the first time that I can remember. An excitable 10 rolled out at exactly 10.05am (well done everyone!) in superb weather for a Wolds Ramble, including Chris, Neil, John C, Jon G, Pete K (Fresh from his Tour of Ireland epic), Greg (who just missed the H ride and wisely decided not to chase the H riders down…is that even humanly possible?), Mal (who was on an early exit strategy), Tony and yours truly…oh, and of course, Kylie!

We headed out through Buttercrambe (where we ran into an organised Hunt which had horses all over the road for a few miles) and then up the long climb to Acklam Mast where Mal bid us farewell. On the climbs and muddy lanes around North Grimston and Duggleby, we found ourselves spread out like Brown’s cows so a firm order was bellowed over race radio to re-group, pronto.

We then made our way much more efficiently to Sledmere, Wetwang and Warter where Kevin again proved that his map guiding skills know no bounds by diverting us to some spectacular views and beautiful lanes around Nunburholme before retracing across the hills to Millington. But then, disaster!…What’s worse than a pub with no beer? Ans: A closed café on a club run due to a private function! So we didn’t get to try out the newly refurbed Ramblers Rest as others have done before us. With some of our group looking like they were feeling the strain, we rode back up the hill to the World Peace Café at Kilnwick Percy where we enjoyed some serious meditation and discussion of the meaning of life over coffee with the Buddhist monks.

We were conscious that daylight would disappear earlier than usual so decided to adopt a strategy to drop Jon G onto the Selby cycle path. Off we headed through Pocklington, Allerthorpe, Melbourne, Elvington, Wheldrake, Escrick and on to the bike path. Amazingly, a bloke in a hand-driven recumbent then slip-streamed behind us at 18-20 mph most of the way back to York! I arrived home with my legs feeling both the chunky mileage and the frequent climbing in the Wolds. Another sensational day out!

BTW, Kylie stuck with us all day and even did a couple of impromptu songs with the monks. She certainly impressed our boys with her fitness! Tune in next Thursday evening where we will announce next w/e’s celebrity rider…our people are working on it as I write! Requests encouraged.



D.

I had a lovely weekend of MTBO in Cumbria this weekend. Sunday was so warm and sunny that we raced in shorts and T-shirts! There was a long and an ultra long race, which took 1 hour 27 and 1 hour 44, so very short compared to the 2 - 5 hour trailquests we normally do! Easily doable on dextrose Still, it was majorly hilly so I was suitably tired afterwards and the 3 hour drive home finished me off completely!

With most of the regulars all away doing one thing or another it was left to just me and Heather to make the most of what could be the last true Autumnal ride of the year. You get the feeling that one windy day will now strip the trees.

Unlike Cumbria it was fairly fresh and I for one sported my full winter wardrobe for the first time. Fantatstic conditions with quiet lanes and roads now covered in autumnal ditritus. Kirkham, Langton, Settrington Bank, Snainton, Hackness, Scarborough. The seaside was definitely bracing, with a some icey showers along the coast. F+C in S. Bay. Then back through Wykeham, Sherburn, W. Lutton, Birdsall and a final descent from Acklam mast with the low sun picking out the shapes and colours of the Vale of York. Back in York at 4-30 having made the most of every last photon of daylight. Just over 100miles, Hubstats nothing to shout about.

Yet another truly memorable Sunday ride.

Great Intermediate ride on Saturday with a peleton of 9 (or 10 as Darren has mentioned). I was still quite tired after riding 7 out of 8 days in Ireland the week before, my mini tour was quite an epic ride, covering just over 600 miles in the 5 days followed by a days rest then 2 shorter runs of 45 miles each in the beautiful hills of the Dublin/Wicklow mountains and it showed on the climb to Acklam, my legs were still suffering a bit. 55 hard miles (well hard to me) to the cafe stop - which turned out to be the Buddhist retreat on the outskirts of Pocklington (not one for the cafe list in my opinion), followed by a nice 30 flat miles via Melbourne and the Selby bike track (so Jon G could be closer to home) back into York at a leisurely 22mph
All in all a great day with a great bunch on a glorious but cold sunny day.